Porto defender is set to snub City for Chelsea move

Eliaquim Mangala could snub Manchester City for Chelsea after the £35m-valued central defender stated he would prefer a move to the west London club because of its location in the capital.

City are targeting at least one top-class central defender this summer and the 23-year-old is Manuel Pellegrini’s first choice. The manager came close to buying Mangala in the January window but the deal broke down after Porto failed to agree a price with City.

With Joleon Lescott due to leave the champions and doubts over Martín Demichelis and Matija Nastasic’s ability to perform against elite Champions League opposition, Pellegrini believes Mangala has the requisite quality. Yet the France defender, who is also interesting Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, appears to favour Chelsea.

“City or Chelsea? Chelsea because it is London,” Mangala told BeIn Sports. “It is true that I love the Premier League because it is a spectacular championship. In January, there were discussions with City, but it fell through because the two clubs could not reach an agreement. Every player wants to play in the biggest clubs. I am an ambitious player and the team that can help me win titles is the one that interests me.

“My goal now is the World Cup. We will see what happens after that. I told [agent] Jorge Mendes that I don’t want to know anything about the transfer window until then.”